Chocolate Chip Coconut Muffins
These chocolate chip coconut muffins are soft, moist, and packed with double coconut flavor from both coconut flour and coconut milk, with melty chocolate chips in every bite. They come together in two bowls and bake in under 20 minutes, which makes them an easy choice for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or a simple dessert. If you love the pairing of sweet coconut and rich chocolate, this is the muffin to bookmark.
Coconut and chocolate is one of those flavor pairings that just works. The mellow, nutty sweetness of coconut softens the edge of the chocolate, while the chocolate keeps the coconut from tasting one-note. In a muffin, that balance turns out tender and a little indulgent without being heavy, and the texture stays light thanks to the way the wet and dry ingredients are folded together rather than beaten.
What you’ll need for these coconut muffins
The ingredient list leans on coconut in three forms, so the flavor is layered rather than flat. Here are the parts that matter most:
- Coconut flour and all-purpose flour — the recipe uses one cup of each. Coconut flour is very absorbent and gives the crumb its character, while the all-purpose flour provides structure. If you need a gluten-free version, you can swap the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free flour mix such as Schar Mix C.
- Coconut milk (canned) — this is the full-fat, creamy kind from a can, not the thin carton drink. It adds moisture and a deeper coconut note than dairy or water would.
- Coconut oil — melted before it goes in, it carries flavor and keeps the muffins tender.
- Coconut sugar or brown sugar — both bring a soft caramel warmth that suits the coconut; either works.
- Eggs — two large eggs bind the batter and help it rise, so these muffins are vegetarian rather than vegan.
- Chocolate chips and coconut flakes — a full cup of chips for the chocolate hit, plus a quarter cup of flakes folded in for extra texture.
How to get a light, moist crumb
The single most important step is not over-mixing. Once you fold the wet ingredients and the melted coconut oil into the dry ingredients, stir only until everything is combined. A few lumps in the batter are exactly what you want — they mean the gluten has not been worked into a tough, dense muffin. The moment the batter looks smooth and glossy, you have likely gone too far.
A couple of other small things make a difference. Whisk the dry ingredients together thoroughly first so the baking powder is evenly distributed, which gives you an even rise. Stir the chocolate chips into the dry mix before adding the wet ingredients so they stay suspended in the batter instead of sinking. And fill the muffin cups evenly, using two spoons per muffin, so they all bake at the same rate.
Why coconut flour behaves differently
Coconut flour is not a one-to-one substitute for wheat flour, and that is why this recipe pairs it with all-purpose flour and a full cup of canned coconut milk plus two eggs. Coconut flour absorbs far more liquid than regular flour, so it needs that extra moisture and the binding power of eggs to keep the muffins from turning dry or crumbly. Keeping the proportions as written is the key to a crumb that stays tender rather than sandy.
How to tell when they’re done
Bake the muffins at 375F (190C) for about 18 to 20 minutes. The most reliable test is the toothpick: insert one into the center of a muffin, and when they are ready it will come out dry rather than coated in wet batter. The tops should be set and lightly golden. Because every oven runs a little differently, start checking at the 18-minute mark so you do not overbake them and lose that moist interior.
Let the muffins rest in the tin for one to two minutes after they come out, then move them to a cooling rack for about ten minutes. They are at their best served still slightly warm, when the chocolate chips are soft and the coconut aroma is at its strongest.
Storing and making them ahead
Once the muffins have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two to three days. Because of the coconut milk and oil they stay moist well, but if you want to keep them longer, freeze them: wrap each muffin individually, then thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in the oven so they taste freshly baked again. A few seconds of reheating brings back that soft, melty chocolate.
If muffins are a regular bake in your kitchen, it is worth building a small rotation. This collection of easy vegan muffin recipes is a great place to start, and a few favorites to try next include healthy apple muffins, banana bread muffins, and vegan cherry muffins. And if it is the chocolate-and-coconut combination you are after, the raw vegan coconut bonbons scratch the same itch in a no-bake form.
If you bake these, I’d love to know how they turned out — leave a star rating and drop a comment to tell me whether you went with coconut sugar or brown sugar, and if you tried the gluten-free flour swap. Your notes help the next reader pick the version that’s right for them.
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Chocolate Chip Coconut Muffins
Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 2 eggs large
- 1 cup coconut milk canned
- 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour you can also replace with a gluten-free flour mix like Schar Mix C
- 1 cup coconut flour
- ⅔ cups coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- ¼ cup coconut flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Prepare your muffin tin by lining with paper cases and set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, and vanilla extract.
- In another large bowl whisk together the flours, coconut flakes, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips. With a rubber spatula fold the wet ingredients, along with the melted oil, into the dry ingredients and stir only until the ingredients are combined. Do not over mix the batter! A few lumps are ok.
- Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter, using two spoons /muffin. Place in the oven and bake for about 18 – 20 minutes. Test by inserting a toothpick; When they’re ready to come out, the toothpick will remain dry.
- Let the muffins sit in the tin for 1-2 minutes after you take them out of the oven, place them on a cooling rack for 10 minutes and then serve still warm,
Frequently Asked Questions
No, this recipe is vegetarian, not vegan. It uses two large eggs to bind the batter and help it rise, so it contains an animal product. If you want a vegan version, you would need to test a suitable egg replacer, which would change the texture and is not part of this recipe as written.
Yes. The recipe uses one cup of all-purpose flour and one cup of coconut flour, and you can replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour mix such as Schar Mix C. Coconut flour is naturally gluten-free, so swapping the wheat flour for a good mix gives you a fully gluten-free muffin.
Use canned coconut milk, which is the thick, creamy, full-fat kind, not the thin carton drink meant for cereal or coffee. The canned version adds the moisture and richer coconut flavor these muffins need, especially since coconut flour absorbs a lot of liquid.
Dense, tough muffins almost always come from over-mixing the batter. Once you fold the wet ingredients into the dry ones, stir just until combined and stop while a few lumps remain. Over-mixing develops the gluten and knocks out the air, which gives you a heavy crumb instead of a light one.
Bake them at 375F (190C) for about 18 to 20 minutes, then test with a toothpick inserted in the center. When they are ready, the toothpick comes out dry rather than coated in wet batter, and the tops should be set and lightly golden. Start checking at 18 minutes so you do not overbake them.
Let them cool completely, then keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for two to three days. For longer storage, wrap each muffin individually and freeze, then thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in the oven. A short reheat softens the chocolate chips and brings back the fresh-baked taste.
Must-try! Loved them!
searched for a coconut muffin with chocolate chips recipe, and this was perfect! I used the coconut oil and the coconut milk, but normal sugar and flour, and it worked out lovely. This was my first ***ever*** solo baking project, and it went well. your instructions were really nice and clear, although I did panic when I suddenly realised I had to melt the coconut oil.
(If you do try to make vegan versions of these, my research into various coconut flour/oil/milk/sugar ingredients said that they really rely on eggs for binding, so you’ll need to check that you’re compensating for that – but you probably know that stuff already!)
Thank you for the recipe! I hope it’s not weird to comment five years after it was posted. Going to feed them to my mother soon as a surprise, she’s a great baker! 🙂
Chocolate and coconut is one of my favorite combos ever. I love these!!
Thank you, Ruxandra!
Glad you liked the recipe! You’re welcome!
thank you for sharing your recipe, my creation/adaptation turned out lovely. i especially enjoyed the addition of coconut flakes.
@city : Thank you! I'm glad you like it 🙂
nice idea thanks for sharing
@Disco Mom:
I can't tell you from where you can buy the coconut butter. I live in Romania and I buy it from Organic stores. I'm sure that you can also buy it online but unfortunately I only know Romanian websites.
About the muffins:
1. I use a slightly taller-than normal muffin tin. I bought it from Ikea. Maybe this is one reason why the muffins have a taller bottom.
2. When preparing the mixture for your muffins be careful not to over mix the ingredients in order to get fluffy, tall muffins. Simply fold the ingredients together. Don't worry about a few lumps.
3. Start with ingredients at room temperature (milk, eggs…)
4. Allow muffins to cool in the pan at least 10 minutes before removing them; if you remove them too fast they may deflate.
Anyways don't worry; practice makes perfect 🙂 This is the third time I make muffins and the only time they actually looked good :). I'm still not that sure if the fourth time they will look good also. It's not a very easy recipe and I'm not very good at baking.
Try following the tips above and let me know if they worked! 🙂
Hugs!
@Magic of Spice: Thank you!:)
Hi – these look amazing. Tell me more about coconut butter – what the heck and where can I get some? I'm sure I can find a million uses for it. Also, I'm obsessed with getting my muffins tall like these – not just the rise on top but a nice tall bottom. What pan do you have, or is it the fancy liners that make the base so nice and tall? Mine seem so shrimpy. I'm going crazy with this issue – please help! THanks 🙂
Beautiful looking muffins and love all of those chips!
@Purabi Naha: Thank you! Btw I love your blog! I'm a HUGE fan of Indian recipes 🙂
I loved this recipe! The measurements seem to be very good and these muffins are right down my alley!
@Jesica: Thanks! I'm a huge chocolate fan! The more the merrier :))
@Foodepix: Thanks for the invite. Love the website!
Thanks Angie!
You can substitute coconut butter with any other oil you like and of course if you are not vegan you can use regular butter.
I prefer coconut butter because it has a subtle nutty flavor that I love. Be sure to buy unrefined cold-pressed coconut butter, it is the best 🙂
i love how you don't skimp on the chocolate chips and that addition of coconut is just divine!
Looks delicious. Would love for you to share this with us over at foodepix.com.
Gorgeous muffins! I have to get some coconut butter.